Mouse trap



Patented June 27, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an animal trap thatwill successfully capture animals such as mice, rats and the likewithout harming or multilating such animals caught.

A further object' of my invention is to provide an animal trap that maybe easily and quickly set without damage to the one so setting the trap.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an animal trapthat permits the easy release of the animal caught.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an animal trap thatmay be easily and quickly knocked down for shipping purposes.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an animal trapthat is economical in manufacture and durable in use.

These and other objects will be apparentto those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinationof the various parts of the device, whereby the objects cont'emplatedare attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in myclaims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of my trap in open set condition.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of the trap in sprung condition.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of my trap and more fully illustrates itsconstruction.

Fig. 4 is the back end View of my trap set and ready for use.

There are many types of traps on the market for catching small animalssuch as mice and the like, but most of these traps are difficult to setand usually kill the animal, thereby providing undesirable scent orblood on the trap which may make it Very inefficient for use the secondtime.

I have overcome such disadvantages by providing a trap that is easilyset, does not harm the animal caught and so constructed as t'o enticethe animal into a position where it may be caught.

Referring to the drawing, I have used the numeral I to designate anelongated rectangular housing opened at both ends. The numeral IIdesignates a screen secured to and inclosing the front end of saidhousing. The numerals I2 and I3 designate two vertical grooves in thetwo side walls of the housing Il! as shown in Fig. 3. These grooves arelocated near the open rear end of the housing, oppose each other andcommunicate with the top of the housing I!! as shown in the drawing. Thenumeral I4 designates a trap door having flanges I5 and I6 normallyengaging and sliding in the grooves I2 and I3 respectively. By thisarrangement, the trap door I4 may slide upwardly to open the rear end ofthe housing IIJ or it may slide downwardly to close the rear end of thehousing I0. The numeral I'I designates a hole in the top of the housingIl). This hole is centrally located and near the forward end of thehousin The numeral I8 designates a post detachab y secured in the top ofthe housing I0 and positioned to the rear of the hole I'I. 'I'he numeralI8 designates a post detachably secured in the top of the housing I0 andpositioned to the rear of the hole II. The numeral I9 designates a slotin the top of the post I8 extending longitudinally of the lonigtudinalaxis of the housing I0. The numeral 20 designates a plate elementsecured by suitable means to the top of the housing I This plate isforward of the post and slightly overlaps the rear end portion of thehole I'I. The numeral 2| designates a vbar having it's rear end looselyconnected to the center top of the trap door I4 by staple, ring or like22. This bar 2l extends forwardly above the housing and has its lowermarginal edge engaging and resting in the slot I9 of the post I8. 'I'henumeral 23 designates a lug formed on the lower forward end portion ofthe bar 2| and engaging the forward side of the post I8 for preventingthe undesirable rear sliding movement of the bar 2l relative to the postI8. The numeral 24 designates a trigger nger having its upper endpivoted to the forward end of the bar 2l and its length extendingdownwardly inside the housing through the slot opening I'I as shown inFig. 1.

The numeral 25 designates a notch on the rear edge of the linger 24capable of engaging the plate 20. 'I'he numeral 26 designates a springhaving one end engaging the forward edge of the trigger linger 24 foryieldingly holding the trigger to-ward the catch plate 20. The numeral21 designates a bait hook on the lower end of the finger 24.

To set my trap, it is merely necessary to vbait the hook 21 and manuallyforce the forward end of the bar 2| downwardly to a point where thespring 26 will move the notch 25 of the trigger finger into engagementwith the plate 20. With the notch 25 in engagement with the plate 29,the forward end of the bar 2l will be held downwardly and the rear endof the bar 2l will be held upwardly. As the rear end of the bar 2l isconnected to the trap door I4, the trap door will be in an elevatedposition. Obviously, with the trap door held in an upward position, theanimal may pass into the housing I0 through the rear of the housing.When the animal attacks the bait on the hook 21, the trigger 24 willobviously be moved, thereby moving the notch 25 out of engagement withthe plate 20 at which time the gravity of the trap door will cause it tofall and the forward end of the bar 2| will be moved to an upwardposition as shown in Fig. 2. With the trap door in a lowered position,the animal will be trapped within the housing. When the user notes thatthe trap door is in a lowered position, he may assume that he hastrapped a mouse or the like, but he can denitely ascertain this bylooking in the housing through the screen in front. To release theanimal from the trap, it is merely necessary to raise the trap door. Bymaking my trap of elongated construction, it provides the appearance ofa hole, thereby inviting the animal to enter and it is possible to catchanimals even when a bait is not used. The screen on the forward end ofthe housing gives the impression to the animal that the hole is not adead end. From the foregoing, it will readily be seen that I haveprovided a highly desirable trap. By not killing the animal in the trap,my trap is not soiled and may be used over and over again withoutarousing suspicion on the part of the animal to be caught.

In packing for shipment or when not in use, the trap door, bar, triggernger and spring 26 may be moved upwardly and completely detached fromthe body of the trap and placed inside the trap with the trap door slidinto its receiving groove in an up-side-down position. Also the post i8may be removed and placed inside the housing.

Although I have described my trap as being particularly desirable forthe catching of rats, mice and like, obviously it can be made insuitable sizes for catching various types of animals or birds.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of myimproved mouse trap without departing from the real spirit and purposeoi my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modiedforms oi structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may bereasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a trap, a housing having a hole in its top, a trap door slidablymounted on said housing capable of closing said housing when in alowered position, a post secured to the top of said housing, a barpivoted between its two ends on said post and having its rear endoperatively connected to said trap door, a finger pivoted at its upperend to the forward end of said bar and extending downwardly into saidhousing through said hole, a notch in said nger, a member rigidlysecured to said housing capable of being engaged by said notch, and ameans for yieldingly holding said finger toward a direction where saidnotch will engage said last mentioned member.

2. In a device of the class described, a housing having a hole in itstop, a trap door slidably mounted on said housing and capable of closingsaid housing when in a closed position, a post having a slot in its topsecured to said housing, a bar resting in the slot in the top of saidpost and having one of its ends operatively secured to said trap door, afinger having one of its ends pivotally secured to the other end of saidbar and extending downwardly into said housing through a bar resting inthe slot in the top of said post,

and having one of its ends operatively secured to said trap door, alinger having one of its ends pivotally secured to the other end of saidbar and extending downwardly into said housing through said hole, aplate secured to said housing andl overlapping a portion of said hole, anotch in said nger capable of engaging said plate at times, and a lug onsaid bar for limiting the sliding movement of said bar relative to saidpost in one direction.

REX M. PENDRY.

